1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to generation of an image processing parameter utilized in image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera which is rapidly becoming popular in recent years is characterized by facility of management and processing of images since the images are recorded as digital data. However, as digital data can be easily tampered with by combining or the like leaving no trace, the reliability of a photographed digital image as proof is a problem in some cases. Further, as digital data can be duplicated and distributed very easily, the right of a creator of an image (copyright holder) cannot be sufficiently protected. Accordingly, in recent years, a digital camera having a function of adding identity data to digital data recorded by the digital camera, for verifying that the digital data has not been tampered with, has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-200730.)
On the other hand, generally, a digital camera has a function of processing an image at the same time of image sensing by image processing utilizing digital data processability. As the content of image processing can be changed in correspondence with a set image processing parameter, various types of image processing can be performed in the digital camera. In a known digital camera of this type, an image processing parameter can be freely set in accordance with a user's preference in addition to image processing parameters corresponding to preset operation modes (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-101828). According to this digital camera, an image processing system capable of realizing a user's desired color reproduction can be provided. In particular, as raw data is digitized from an electric signal obtained from an image sensing device and not subjected to image processing such as white balance processing, a user's desired color reproduction can be easily realized by selectively using an image processing parameter.
The image processing parameter for processing raw data can be set by the user and applied to the raw data. Further, there is a need to prevent such image processing parameter from being used by others, or to limit use of the image processing parameter by the others. However, generally, addition of information on a creator of an image processing parameter to the image processing parameter which is used for performing image processing on raw data obtained by a digital camera is not taken into consideration. Accordingly, the content of image processing parameter unique to the creator cannot be appropriately protected.